Hi! I'm just starting to get into some doll customization and looking at a few interesting projects to start with. Before I invest my money into paint, brushes, and hair, I want to make sure I can do what I was thinking of.

I'm looking at making a doll with a green-blue skin tone. The trouble is finding a suitable starting doll. The skin color I'm looking for is rather specific and not really available in the type of doll I'm looking to work with.

What types of paints should I use to paint the face/neck/body of the doll? The eye paints? Something different?

In painting the full doll, do I need to be concerned with the paint looking streaky or is there a better tool/method to use?

Mattel made some Fairytopia dolls a few years ago who were offered in pink, blue, and lavender skin tones. They all had glitter glued onto their torsos in lieu of actual clothing, but it's very easy to remove the glitter from their bodies.

If those dolls' skin tones aren't what you're looking for, then you can just go with the tried-and-true method of painting the doll's body. You'll want to use acrylic paints, and you'll want to paint the body in several watered-down coats of paint. Be sure to let each coat dry before painting the next coat. If sone correctly, you'll end up with a surface that's brushstroke-free, and then, all you'll need to do is seal the paint with an appropriate sealant (probably matte) to protect the paint. Remember, the paint can still be scratched off if you're not careful, so handle the doll with care.

There is also a website called the junky spot that has quite a few BJD's (ball jointed dolls) in wild skin tones. Ex: lavender, teal, blue, etc. they're around $30-$37 each, the faces & bodies are completely colored, and the faces are left blank for you to customize.

BE VERY CAREFUL IF U PAINT THE BODY BY HAND…. I HAVE NEVER FOUND A SEALER THAT COMPLETELY DRIES ON THE VINYL BODIES.

If u don't seal it, any little thing can scratch the color off. However if u do choose to paint it yourself, you would save a ton of time getting a cheap airbrush kit – like the ones on eBay for fingernails that come with the air compressor – I've seen them listed for around $35, and most of the time if u order from overseas, the shipping will be free. It's totally worth waiting the extra week or so, & if youre not happy, eBay will issue a full refund. That way u don't have to worry about any streaks, and you don't need to wait for each v-e-r-y thin coat to dry or apply numerous coats to get your color.